Frost likely to blame for increased sightings says biologist

MABOU, N.S. — Cape Breton residents may be seeing increased black bear sightings this year due to some late spring frosts that damaged berries and vegetation.

Cape Mabou resident Mary Campbell said she started experiencing problems with the furry omnivores around late April.

She is the great-great granddaughter of John Campbell, a well-known hunter from the pioneer days, known as John the Bear Killer.

“Bears were a menace and John Campbell was the only man around from Inverness to Port Hawkesbury who had a musket because he was a military man or a military brat,” she said. “He was called on to shoot menacing bears who were tearing the logs off of the log cabins.”

Campbell believes some of today’s problems with bears relate to clearcutting in places such as her home community.

“The only explanation I can give is the bears are either being driven out of their natural habitat or bears are becoming so familiar with people they’re not afraid,” she said.

Campbell has had problems with one particular male bear that she believes is likely about three or four years old.

One day she returned home to find the bear sitting in a chair on her front porch after it had been digging into her flower pots.

In another instance, the bear tore apart a quilt that had been left on her clothes line. After leaving a chocolate bar inside her vehicle, Campbell also awoke one morning to find the bear had torn through the canvass top of her convertible.

A neighbour also blames the death of an expectant cow on a bear, although he said problems with bears and cattle is a rare occurrence.

In addition, Campbell said bears were spotted sniffing around near where children were present. She said human rights should take precedence over animal rights.

“They should put a cull on these males bears that are pushed out of the females’ territory,” said Campbell.

“These bears are used to people now and they’re used to eating people food, well, what is there to say that a bear can’t sneak up behind (someone).”

Campbell travels with a whistle around her neck and keeps bear spray and a handheld horn inside her home. She also drives with a wooden club in her vehicle.

Her fear of the bears has prompted her to escort guests to and from her hair salon during their visits.

Campbell said she made repeated calls to the Department of Lands and Forestry to complain about the problem. By late Thursday afternoon, she had received a call that an officer was preparing to stop by with a trap.

Contributed photo

Lisa Doucette, a provincial wildlife biologist based in Antigonish, said the are many reports this year of people having encounters with bears on their properties.

“We think it is related to those late frosts that we had that killed off so many of the berries and vegetation,” said Doucette. “When bears emerge from hibernation in the spring they’re quite hungry, they’re looking for food, and about 80 per cent of their diet is composed of vegetation.”

Doucette said generally black bears are not dangerous unless cornered or if a mother has reason to believe her cubs may be in danger.

“Almost all problems with bears have to do with human food or human waste,” said Doucette. “They’re looking for food, they’re not looking to target you or your family.”

Homeowners are asked to generate noise to scare bears off. To keep from attracting the animals, Doucette said it is important to put away bird feeders, clean up around barbecues and keep pet food inside.

“In almost all cases if a bear keeps coming back to a property it’s because something is attracting it so that could be green bins or garbage containers that are becoming smelly with food waste,” she said.

Lands and Forestry works with the public to figure out what is attracting bears and offers suggestions on animal deterrents.

Wildlife officers will trap a bear as a last resort, however, Doucette said it often leads to euthanasia as there are limited spaces to bring the animals.

“If there was an aggressive bear that was known to be problematic that appeared to have lost its fear of humans then we would definitely have to consider trapping and removing that animal, but in most cases, they will run when they see people.”

Bob Petrie, director of Wildlife branch at the Department of Lands and Forestry, said the black bear population is managed through licensed hunting.

He said the department handles conflict between humans and black bears as it occurs and by educating people on ways to discourage bears from coming around.

Petrie said the option of a cull is not under consideration at this time.